358 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull, 194 



bundles. There were no songs common to both bundles. In spite of 

 the fact that in the sacred mythology, Grizzly Bear was angered at 

 Brave-While- Young for failing to make suitable offerings while eagle 

 trapping, there is no evidence that eagle trapping was ever associated 

 with the Grizzly Bear bundles. Both bundle groups met when the 

 purchase of an Acira bundle was being made and, because one dreamed 

 frequently of bears, purchases commonly were made into both 

 ceremonies. 



Thunder Ceremonies 



The Thunder ceremonies comprise a closely related group of 

 separate rites performed to those supernatural beings believed to 

 "possess the power" of producing thunder and lightning. These 

 supernatural beings comprise two groups, the sky gods and the 

 water gods, between whom there were endless conflicts during the 

 mythological period. The welfare of the Hidatsa was generally be- 

 lieved to be dependent on the outcome of these contests. There was 

 a wide range of contests between the supernatural, chiefly involving 

 Old-Woman-Who-Never-Dies, Two Men, Packs Antelope, Eagle 

 People, and various water spirits such as large snakes, toads, turtles, 

 mink, beavers, otters, and muskrats. 



The Thunder rites showed a wider variation in supernatural experi- 

 ences during the sacred past than other rites and, in general, the 

 territorial settings for the incidents leading to the establishment of 

 the rites ranged over a large area of the Northern Plains in contrast 

 with the local character of most ceremonial origins. According to 

 native concepts, rites relating to thunder were established from time 

 to time. The oldest of these formal rites now identified by informants 

 are concerned with the High Bird-Hungry Wolf conflict which oc- 

 curred at a large lake to the northeast, generally identified today 

 with Devils Lake, prior to the arrival of the Hidatsa-River Crow 

 (Mirokac) on the Missouri. In a quarrel between two brothers, 

 Sun and Thunderbird protected High Bird from Hungry Wolf's gods. 

 This supernatural experience provided the traditional setting for the 

 origin of the Thunder bundle owned by Raving Bear (AwaxEnawita 

 clan) of Hidatsa village who sold to his son. Smells, of the Low Cap 

 clan. He in turn sold to his son, White Fingernails, of the Knife clan, 

 bundle owner at the time this study was made. In native concept, 

 this bundle represented the oldest and came down through the years 

 by father-to-son inheritance from the time of the residence of the 

 Hidatsa far to the east. Smells believed that the rites had originated 

 on the banks of Devils Lake and, during war expeditions to that 

 region, usually stopped on the banks of that lake to perform rites 

 and to make offerings to his sacred bundle. Those in his party 



